Living as we do in a
multi-cultural world, nowhere are the pleasures that it brings more
obvious than at the table, when we enjoy a feast of complex flavors and
simple preparations.

The book in your hands
exactly does that. It tells you about the tasty and aromatic cuisines of
Kashmir, the northern-most State of India, famous for its incredible range
of culinary delights, guaranteeing a veritable experience to the gourmet.
It also gives alternatives to deep frying of some of the recipes.

The preparation of
Kashmiri food in an efficient, healthy way can be just fun. It would
hardly take you 10 to 25 minutes to cook a delicious meal, whose tempting,
hot, spicy taste lends it a peculiar quality of its own and distinguishes
it from the culinary arts of rest of India and the world at large.

In addition, the book
delineates not only the health benefits of foods we eat everyday but also
provides the religious and cultural significance associated with the
traditional Kashmiri food.

Koshur Saal recipes are quite
different from those of other regions of India. The author takes pride in
keeping Kashmiri culture alive far from home. --
Miami Herald

Kosher Saal is more than a
cookbook; it is the preservation of Kashmiri culture and cuisine that has
not historically been widely documented. Future generations will now be
able to taste the flavors of Kashmir as they were meant to be, with
wonderful blends of spices and special techniques. This book is organized
in a way that people from any cultural background will be able to easily
produce and enjoy [the recipes] --Bruce Ozga, Culinary Dean, Florida

Kosher Saal has brought back to
me my childhood memories of growing in the Jammu & Kashmir, of eating a
feast of Kashmiri dishes on special occasions like weddings and festivals.
. . . Vijay Anand, Executive Chef,
Pataks Foods, Ltd. (Worldwide), England, Ethnic Chef of the Year 2007
(Craft Guild of Chefs Awards)

Scroll down to see the India-Abroad interview with Chandra Ganju and to
view other reviews and links

AbouttheAuthor: A lawyer by profession,
Chandra Ganju moved to the States in 1993 and has been living in Florida
ever since. Since she spent a good part of her life in Kashmir, her deep
interest in things Kashmiri, be it culture, lan­guage or cuisine, developed with
the passage of time. With her deep-rooted interest in spirituality, she is of
the firm opinion that food we eat has long lasting influence on the thoughts we
think. She fondly remembers that in Kashmir when she was growing up in a
traditional Kashmiri home, kitchen occupied same sacred space as the place of
worship.

Chandra believes that it is the method of cooking that adds to the quality
of the food. For her cooking is an art and feels the need to create a
right atmosphere. Good vibrations are needed to pass into the food while
cooking. This goes a long way in ensuring a healthy, happy and genuinely
spiritual family. Although right amount of ingredients are critical for
food to taste good, a good measure of love and devotion added to the food
can even change human behavior.

Of late, she has also taken up writing plays in Kashmiri language,
highlighting the decline of Kashmiri language and cuisine with a view to
reviving the interest of the young and the old in the rich Kashmiri
language.

She fondly hopes, her present work will revive the taste buds of younger
generation and introduce Kashmiri cuisine to wider cross section of
people.

Koushur Saal in US PRESS
TRUST OF INDIAWashington: In an effort to popularize Kashmiri delicacies in the
US, a book on aromatic cuisines of the valley has hit American stores this
week. Written by Chandra Ganju, a lawyer by profession, the book “Koushur
Saal” teaches preparation of Kashmiri food in an efficient, healthy way.
“It would hardly take you 10 to 25 minutes to cook a delicious meal, that
is tempting, hot, spicy taste, lends it a peculiar quality of its own and
distinguishes it from the culinary arts of rest of India and the world at
large,” the publisher, Seaboard Press, said in a media release.

“In
addition, the book delineates not only the health benefits of foods we eat
everyday but also provides the religious and cultural significance
associated with the traditional Kashmiri food,” it said Ganju, who spent a
good part of her life in Kashmir, moved to the US in the year 1993 and has
been living in Florida ever since.